Fennec Clan

Clan History: The Fennec clan began as little more then wandering nomadic traders from various places across the endless deserts of the world. Over the years, the clan ancestors began to form larger and large caravans; for both the purposes of trade and protection; as well as creating alliances between themselves. Long ago, the largest of the allied groups became lost in a major sandstorm. The survivors buckled down and waited out the disaster; digging out and finding themselves far from the well traveled paths. They wandered the wastes for several days before stumbling upon a rocky outcropping and small valley; which hid the very thing that would save their lives: a lush, greenery and water filled oasis. A moderately sized herd of camels was grazing on the Date trees that grew along the edge of the large pond, and the large-eared fennec fox danced and played in the sands. The survivors fell to their knees and thanked the Gods of the sands for the gift of life they felt they had been given; running to the water to quench their thirsts and explore their new home.

They spent the next several weeks building a camp in the oasis; slowly taming the wild camels to replace the ones they had lost, as well as befriending the small foxes that called the area home. Soon they began to send scouts out; trying to find the trails and roads they had once traveled; in order to find their allies and families, and bring them to their new home. It was soon apparent however, that the scouts where completely lost in the endless sands. Even tracking using the stars was useless; as they would eventually run into high cliffs and impassible valleys. Returning home in shame; the small band settled in for the long haul; convinced they would never leave their new home.

One day some time later, the youngest member of the band, a boy little more then 10, was playing with the newest litter of fox kits when he noticed something strange. Several of the adult foxes where completely unknown; even discolored compared to the perfect, golden sandy tan of the local family. These where a stoney grey, similar to the foxes they'd seen in the far lands, near the edges of the territories the bands had once traveled. These where not sand foxes; these where the foxes of the rocky mountains. When he showed this to the elders; they realized that there must have been a way out of the valley after all; and began to study the foxes with great scrutiny. Eventually; they noticed the small caves in the rocks that the canines where using where... strange; at best. As they dug away the rocks they found the caves that lined the area; which also acted as travel corridors for the animals to come and go from the oasis.

They spent the next several months preparing; they would send the scouts into the tunnels and find the way out. They had too; there where so few of them that they would never be able to maintain a stable population. If they wanted their bloodlines to survive, they had to find the rest of their kin.

It was in these caves that they found them; statues, strange texts, glowing crystals, things they had never imagined. The statues where all vulpine in nature, and the writing was extremely ancient, but still decipherable. They had stumbled upon the lair of the Fennec Fox clans; the temple they had built in ancient times. The happy little creatures they had befriended where of an ancient lineage of Sages; and they had chosen the survivors of the sandstorm to be their new guardians. From the statues came the command, “Gather all ye here, so that the secrets of the Desert Fox may be given.” Gather they did, human and fox alike; and after long periods of study and training; the newest guardians of the Foxes where allowed to re-enter the world. Once outside; they tracked and gathered their old friends, families, and allies; bringing them to their Oasis and showing them the ways of the foxes.

From here; the newly formed clan was able to thrive and grow in happy seclusion; venturing out to do trade with the outside world and to act as guardians of the deserts they loved.

Elements: /Specialization: Ninjutsu

Kekkei Genkai: Fennec Fox AffinityKekkei Genkai Description: This clan relies heavily on Ninjutsu, gaining +1 rank/power to the specialty so long as it is their primary and is related to the usage of the clan's foxes. Every member of this clan is given a free S-Rank Fennic Fox contract upon graduating from the academy. This contract takes the place of the free contract that a summoner would normally create.

Code:

[b][u]Summoning Contract:[/u][/b] Fennec Foxes

[u]Animal/Plant Type:[/u] Vulpes zerda [u]Elemental Affinity:[/u] /[u]Specialization:[/u] Ninjutsu[u]Summon Type:[/u] Fennec Clan; Offensive; Defensive; Supplementary[b]Rank:[/b] S[i]Description:[/i][spoiler=Wikipedia] The fennec fox weighs about 1.5–3.5 lb (0.68–1.6 kg), with a body length of between 24–41 cm (9–16 in); it is around 20.3 cm (8 in) tall.[3]It is the smallest species of canid in the world.[4] The tail has a black tip and is 18–31 cm (7–12 in) long, while the ears can be between 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long.[5][6][7]The coat is often a cream color and fluffy, which deflects heat during the day and keeps the fox warm at night.[3] The fennec's characteristic ears are the largest among all foxes relative to body size,[3] and serve to dissipate heat, as they have many blood vessels close to the skin.[8] The ears of a fennec are sensitive enough to hear prey that may be underground;[5] the soles of its feet are protected from the hot desert sand by thick fur.[3]The basic social unit is thought to be a mated pair and their offspring, and the young of the previous year are believed to remain in the family even after a new litter is born. Playing behavior is common, including among adults of the species.[13] Fennec foxes make a variety of sounds, including barking, a purring sound similar to that of a domestic cat, and a snarl if threatened.

The fennec fox is a carnivore. Food sources include rodents, insects, birds, eggs,[5] and rabbits.[15][16] An individual can jump up to 2 ft (61 cm) high and 4 ft (120 cm) forward, which helps it catch prey and escape predators.[3] When hunting, large eared foxes such as the fennec, or the bat-eared fox, can seem to stare at the ground while they rotate their heads from side to side to pinpoint the location of prey, either underground or hidden above ground.[8] There are reports that fennec foxes climb date palms while foraging for fruit; however, some experts consider these reports unlikely unless low branches are available for support. [17]The species is able to live without free water, as its kidneys are adapted to restrict water loss. A fennec's burrowing can cause the formation of dew. They are also known to absorb water through food consumption; but will drink water if available.[5]Fennec foxes are social animals that mate for life, with each pair or family controlling their own territory.[18] Sexual maturity is reached at around nine months old. In the wild, mating usually occurs between January and February for litters to be born between March and April. However, in captivity most litters are born later, between March and July, although births can occur year round.[13] The species usually breeds only once each year.[19] The copulation tie has been recorded as lasting up to two hours and 45 minutes. Following mating, the male becomes very aggressive and protective of the female, providing her with food during her pregnancy and lactation periods.

A fennec fox's typical den is dug in sand, either in open areas or places sheltered by plants with stable sand dunes considered to be their ideal habitat. In compacted soils, dens can be up to 120 square meters, with up to 15 different entrances. In some cases different families interconnect their dens, or locate them close together. In soft, looser sand, dens tend to be simpler with only one entrance leading to a single chamber. [/spoiler]

A specialized, almost subspecies of the little foxes that roam the desert sands; the Fennec clan protects and guards their fox allies fiercely. The clan was the original inhibitors of the valley oasis that the clan now resides in; and it was their efforts to lead the ancient clansmen out of the raging sandstorm that allowed the partnership between them to develop. The vast majority of the foxes are slightly larger then normal for their species; standing several inches taller and several pounds heavier; with slightly thicker fur in proportion to the rest of their kind. This is the direct result of the copious amount of care, protection, and provision the Fennec clan provides; which has allowed the foxes to focus more on growing and less on basic survival. It is not unheard of for the oldest and most powerful of the foxes to grow to giant sizes; reports of foxes the size of camel are not hard to believe; given the numbers of confirmed sightings.

Members of this fox clan also tend to be far more playful then the average Vulpine species; even compared to the relatively player Fennecs of the main desert, they are clownish and carefree. The attitude is shared by their human guardians; the clan has a carefree and happy demeanor that is rare among the stoic desert nomads.

The foxes are highly protective of their friends and summoners; making up for their small sizes with quick speeds, plenty of agility, and the ability to dig through the sands like a fish swims through water.

[b]Summoning Process:[/b] All members of the clan have a single fox from the clan that is permanently summoned; and treated as a low ranked combat pet. This fox is raised from birth by the user; and can be upgraded as such. This fox must be created using the pet template. All other members of this contract are summoned via the normal means: blood summon, scroll summon, or palm summon.

[b] Drawbacks:[/b] The foxes are typically very small in size; better suited to tracking and hunting then for actual combat. Their bodies are unable to handle large amounts of damage, and their ears are very easy targets. However, the largest members of the clan can be formidable opponents; and nothing moves through the desert sands like Fennec Fox. Cold is the mortal enemy of this clan; because their bodies are highly specialized to handle hot climates; and as such will quickly freeze to death unless properly cared for.